A weekend escapade (part 1)

 So in this recent long weekend, we took a trip to visit the Queen of hills- Mussoorie. The first day in Mussoorie will paint itself something like this -the crisp chilly air of winter, hustle bustle of tourists, the steam from masala chai, maggi and momos wafting throughout the Mall road, glee of local traders when a trade is made, constant bargain banters of bicycle rickshawalas and troupe of watchful langurs waiting with bated breath to steal food from passing-by tourists. 

As the nightfall arrives, the Mall road transformed from the enthralled street to a picturesque romantic landscape lit up by the vintage street lamps giving away a cosy glow to the town. The change was seamless like a sunset- weaving us into the seamless blankets of night. It was a perfect day for friends and laughter. The day left an after taste of togetherness.

Will come back soon with another load of cozy blankets of memories..till then Stay quirky readers..

Tales of the heart…

 

Love has so many faces just like us. There might even be more than 2 billion unique ones. Many have tried explaining it in so so so many lines, but the one that hits you right smack in your heart is the one that is closer to something you have experienced. It stays with you. For instances, Shahjehan made Taj Mahal for Mumtaaz. It took him 21 years to build it for his dead wife to store her corpse. And on other hand, Manjhi's wife, a commoner, took her last breath before reaching hospital as the only way to reach there was going around a mountain that took too much time. He vowed to make a way between the mountain, which took him 22 years with just a hammer and chisel.

Shahjehan got 200 workers to built a Taj Mahal, manjhi dug a way out of rubble single handedly. 

Taj Mahal was a place for dead Mumtaaz, Manjhi's road might have given life to 100 Mumtaaz. 

7 wonders of world has Taj Mahal and on other hand Manjhi's work is known to few. 

On what basis did they list these wonders of the world? 

Does the beautiful sculpture or archeology defines the beauties of the wonders of the world? If that is true then we also say that the beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Then how can a group of people decide for the entire world's beauty? 

Also whose love is greater- Shahjahan who was an emperor and had wealth to create the Taj Mahal for Mumtaaz or Manjhi's, who had no one but self to create a way.. 

Atticus said it very aptly “We are made of all those who have built and broken us”

Until next time ..

Have a quirky wicked time readers !

Be kind...

Today while watching a reality show, the host shared a memory of him and his friends watching movies. They used to plead to this gaurd outside the theatre to let them watch a song for free and once allowed in, they would end up watching the entire movie instead. On hearing this, all I could keep thinking was what a kind gesture on part of that guard ! Something that is so rare to catch a glimpse of sometimes. I can't imagine anyone doing such things anymore. All are trying to pull each other down like a bunch of crabs in well. When did we become so unkind ?

I think we can try and be a bit kinder towards each other amidst the chaotic and unbelievably fast lives. But most important is to be kind to yourself. We often beat ourselves up for the shortcomings in us. We judge ourselves so harshly, often more harshly than others judge us. I learnt that the hard way this year.

Two more months to go for 2019.. 2020 standing at the end of the tunnel like a light..A better year.. a better Us..let's lay the groundwork for coming year.. 

Until next time ..

Have a quirky wicked time readers !

Off Beat..

Hey readers,

We have been living in a humdrum, thinking in the same way.. living in the same shadows of our parents. A dialogue of one of the lead characters of Bangalore Days movie envelopes the entire life phases of an ordinary indian which if translated would be somewhat like this- "Being obedient kid, getting good- decent grades, getting bachelor's and master's degrees, getting into a good paying job, settling down- mostly in arranged way, starting a family.. and the entire thing starts in phase 2 with your kids..Yeah there are changes in technology, eating -clothing pattern but the main plot of almost 90% Indians is the same. There is no off beat.

If one of cousin/friend gets into a new job, the first question is about how much is the salary package, including us. Very few of us asks are you happy with the job, or is it what you desire or will the work be still desirable if the salary is taken out of the equation. And what even more astonishing is that Very rare answers are yes. I'd be a hypocrite if I say I don't belong to the majority section here. It's the same story with all of us. But I'm ready to change it.

Yes money is important.. very important in the present highly competitive world. But it can't be everything. I refuse to agree it to be the sole reason to go for a job or create a career. The people who say that we go for an uninspiring careers and earn money to do things later which we enjoy- there hardly comes such time coz our jobs are very demanding nowadays and to do any extra thing takes a lot of toll on the body and mind.

Recently I tuned in to one of the conversations of my Colleagues debating how young budding generation is addicted to the games on mobile or entertaining app available. The kids are using too much mobile instead of playing outside but the others said why take away something that the kids like and how interfering from the beginning escalates then in future to career based decisions like what we would like them to pursue or rather quite bluntly saying where the money is currently. Yes parents have right to decide what value to give to the kids. Playing excessively on mobile is not advisable but to ban using the mobile for controlling the sole reason is too farfetched. Using mobile also introduce them to the technology which plays good role is today's advanced world. Every person and kid is different, so are their likings. Let them do what their heart calls for rather than putting your dreams for them on their innocent shoulders. Even if there is a financial crunch let them know that, involve them in the situation- there is no shame in that. You'd rather be shaping their character and making them independent to pursue their dream on their own. If they are really into it and wish to pursue it they will get a scholarship or get an internship which may help them into their careers.

I think we can bring the change if you just try.. but the courage to try something for the first time is the only place you are on your own.. it's something you are willing to do for your kids,nephew,niece or coming generation without fearing the society or their same old customs. That courage is all a kid asks from their family to defy the society if there ever comes a situation to choose. I'd like to quote one of my favorite movie line- “Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, just literally 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery, and I promise you something great will come of it.”

Off beat once in a while and where it is necessary is good. Let them shape their own future.. set them free .. for once let them breathe..

Until next time ..

Have a quirky wicked time readers !

Rising from ashes

Hi readers,

This post might be the most heartfelt one amongst the ones I wrote. Even while writing this post I feel two tornadoes of emotions clashing inside of me -  one with restlessness,  disgust, shame and rage while other with pride, pure admiration and vigor to live. All this emanated from an article about a survivor of an acid attack, Laxmi, who was recently blessed with a baby girl. How can a person be so cruel and stone-hearted to disfigure someone just because they didn't reciprocate your feelings? What is so special about you that you decided to torture the person who just rejected your proposal? Do you have supreme mind like Ravana or do you have celestial beauty which if rejected will be like committing a sin? Just because you couldn't tolerate being rejected or accepting the fact that they don't mark you at par with your inflated ego doesn't give you a right to play God in someone else's life.

In my life I hope I would be as courageous as her or others like her. Even 10% of such courage could last me for a lifetime. I don't pity her, rather I won't call her victim at all. Because she pulled herself up and has emerged as this beautiful and splendid person who outshines any kinks that the attack had left on her personality. True, she has her insecurities from time to time like when she was afraid that her new born would cry at the sight of her but it turns out Pihu, her daughter, smiles brightly at her mother every time. With support of her partner, Alok and her family, she has risen above such setback and now is a Director of Chhanv Foundation, a NGO dedicated to help the survivors of acid attacks in India.

There are many others who went through the same painful event but we lost few to this disheartening deed. May their souls rest in peace. But the ones who fought their way through are leading a respectful and independent life. There's a café near Taj Mahal, Agra where all the employees are acid attack victims. They basically work towards awareness of such attacks and make sure that the victims find the lost hope and confidence in them. Rising from ashes - They truly are living examples of Phoenix!!

I am not being feminist here. There are men who suffered such attacks. In fact a report generated by acidsurvivors.org shows that in 2014, men forms 50% of such attacks. The attackers are men and women who acted on their spite.

Think before you do or say something, readers. Donating clothes or money to poor or visiting holy places is easy but doesn't necessarily make you a good person. Being good person in daily life around the people you meet and interact everyday is tough. Understanding their hardships or respecting their opinions is when a person's true self is reflected. It's a shame on us when such incidents emanate from an educated society.If you ever have such thoughts to harm, just spill a drop of boiling hot oil on your arm. Did it hurt? Now imagine that pain increasing almost 10 times more - that's the kind of pain you wished to inflict on somebody. Just Pause. Think. And Reflect.

Until next time...

Have a quirky wicked day, readers !

Like a boomerang !

Hey readers,

Many people I know, who don't necessarily believe in a particular religion or God,  have their faith in Karma. The Karma law basically states that no deed is wasted - what goes around comes back - just like a boomerang.  Similarities of the same can be found in the Newton's Third Law of motion with a base that "every action must have a reaction" and while contrasting with Newton as he also considered opposite impact of an action.

Well I am being so philosophical because recently I re-read a saved article which according to me is an amusing and very interesting way to understand workings of Karma. It's the story of Ronald Opus - a man who's suicide seemed like a murder but finally ruled out as a suicide.

This case was first told at the annual awards dinner given for Forensic Science, AAFS by then the President of AAFS - Dr Don Harper Mills in 1987 which was told as an illustrative anecdote to show how different legal consequences can follow each twist in a murder case inquiry. Later on it first appeared on the Internet in August, 1994. So the case goes something like this - 

On March 23, 1994 a medical officer examined the body of Ronald Opus concluding that Mr Opus had died of a shotgun wound to the head.

Mr Ronald opus had jumped from the tenth floor with intent to commit suicide but was shot at head while falling through ninth floor which killed him instantly. 

What neither the shooter nor Mr. Ronald Opus knew was that there was a safety net spread below the eighth floor level as a precautionary measure to protect the building workers. So even if Ronald Opus has jumped, he would have been saved due to the safety net. But before that could happen he was shot at head that was emanated from the ninth floor which turned this case from suicide to murder.

Now the occupants of one of the ninth floor apartment were an elderly couple who, at the time of incident,  happened to be arguing so vigorously that at a point the husband aimed the gun at his wife and pulled the trigger. But the bullet missed his wife completely and went through the window, striking Mr. Opus. 

Ordinarily a person who sets out to commit suicide and ultimately succeeds, even though the mechanism might not be what he intended, is still defined as committing suicide. But here the act of suicide would not have succeeded due to the safety net, which makes the bullet shot from the ninth floor the reason of Mr. Opus's death and indicating that the old husband is guilty of murder. 

When confronted with the charge of murder the old man and his wife were adamant that they thought the gun was unloaded. The old man explained that it was a long-standing habit to threaten his wife with an unloaded shotgun during the course of their arguments. He had no intention to murder her. Therefore the killing of Mr Opus appeared to be an unfortunate accident.

But then it raised other suspicions - whether the gun was really unloaded ?  And if it wasn't, then who loaded it ? 

Upon continuing the investigation, it turned up that a witness saw the old couple's son loading the shotgun about six weeks prior to the argument and fatal shooting.

It transpired that the old lady had cut off her son's financial support and the son, knowing the habit of his father to use the shotgun threateningly, loaded the gun with the expectation that his Father would shoot his Mother.

Since the loader of the gun, was aware of this, he was guilty of murder even though he didn't actually pull the trigger. Now the son was charged with murder. 

On further investigations an exquisite twist was revealed that the son was in fact, Ronald Opus. Did it blow your mind ?

It turns out Ronald opus had become increasingly despondent over the failure of his schemes for his Mother's murder and decided to give up his life due to increasing financial tension. On March 23rd 1994 he went to the the top of the ten story building and jumped off, only to be killed by a shotgun blast through the ninth story window.

How about that ! Now I know some may call it sheer coincidence, but one cannot deny the timing and almost as cruel as Ronald had planned kind of scheme that played out leading himself to death. 

With this eerie and justice-filled incident, I take a leave and hope you had a safe and happy Diwali. 

Until next time... 

Have a quirky wicked day, readers !

A Chocolaty Affair...

Hey readers,

Today is b'day of one of my dear friends and the first thing that pops in my head whilst living the memories of her would be her crazy and almost borderline psychotic love for chocolate when tried to pry from her hands ( I'm a proud survivor of such an episode). Anyways it got me thinking about how chocolate was invented and its evolution to modern age candy bar. So let me take you to the land of chocolate.

Mesoamerica also known as Aztec is where it all began. Chocolate was first taken as an alcoholic beverage by frothing and fermenting. The chocolate drink made by grounding beans of the Theobroma cacao was bitter in taste and hence mixed with spices or corn puree. Maybe it was because of this taste that its term was coined as ‘chocolate’ which came from the word of Aztec’s Nahuatl language xocoâtl or cacahuatl which literally meant "bitter water ". Hernando Cortez, the great Spanish explorer, during his conquest in Mexico came upon the Aztec tribe using cocoa beans to prepare their royal drink. Excited about this new product, Cortez took some beans back with him to Spain. By adding some cane sugar, the chocolate drink became very popular, especially among the Spanish aristocracy. Spain wisely started to plant cacao trees themselves which developed into a very profitable business. Remarkably, the Spaniards succeeded in keeping the art of the cocoa industry a secret from the rest of Europe for nearly a hundred years.

Spanish monks, who had been involved with the processing of the cocoa beans, leaked the secret out finally and soon Europe started to develop their own cacao bean industry. Throughout Europe, the delicious chocolate drink became hailed as a health-giving food. In 1657, chocolate drinking houses started to open up, but mainly served only the rich, since the cost to make chocolate was still very expensive. As inventors created machinery, and thus eliminated the need for grinding the chocolate with ones hands, the manufacturing process became more efficient, thus less expensive, and produced an even better tasting chocolate. By 1828, the great taste of chocolate expanded to a wider audience although it wasn’t until 1847 that the first ‘candy bar’ was invented by Joseph Fry and his son, who pressed a paste made of cocoa powder and sugar into a bar shape. The chocolate bar was further developed in 1849 when John Cadbury introduced his brand of the chocolate bar. Fry and Cadbury later joined forces to become great chocolate confectioners. The first milk chocolate bar was made by Henry Nestle and Daniel Peter in 1876 by adding milk to the traditional chocolate recipe. This results in a creamier taste and smoother texture.

So, now you know the transition of chocolate from being served in golden goblet to being sold in golden wrappers. Below are few fun facts just for you before I end this post.

• The smell of chocolate increases theta brain waves, which triggers relaxation. (These brain waves are often used in hypnosis for deep relaxation of body) 
• Chocolate has an anti-bacterial effect on the mouth and protects against tooth decay (Remember this if you are a chocolate lover to ward off eating-chocolate-decays-tooth complainers).
• Dogs are not the only animals that can get sick or die by consuming chocolate. It has same effect on cats too.
• In 2013, Belgium issued a limited edition of chocolate flavored stamps. ( Usage of Stamps would be high that year)
• There's a pill that makes farts smell like chocolate.

With that absolute Ewww fact, I hope I have not dampened your craving for chocolate. Before I end this post I would like to request to savor your piece-of-heaven because there is a looming shortage of chocolate and in next 5 years the prices of chocolates might double!!

Until next time…

Have a quirky wicked day, readers!

Arrogance or Thirst to fly free

Hey readers,

Flipping through channels I found a movie playing “Amelia” based on an extraordinary woman, Amelia Earhart, who had an extravagant dream to fly round-the-globe and specifically known for being the first woman aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.  She disappeared over the Pacific Ocean with her plane Lockheed Model 10 Electra (funded by Purdue University where she joined as a visiting faculty) along with her navigator, Fred Noonan, on a 2nd June 78 years ago while she was living her dream around-the-world-flight through the longest route ( following equatorial line). Had she not vanished, she would have completed her flight journey round the globe and be the first woman to do so. But something went wrong and the flight along with her and Fred vanished into thin air.

Many thought her dream to fly is the trait of arrogance. Those who knew her said that she was very determined and was somewhat foolhardy. And hence suggesting that it's probably not a big leap to say arrogant. Despite knowing the fact that there might not be a return trip, she ventured into an unexpected weather with her Electra. Howland Island, a stop for refuel which if she missed would have no other way to refuel the tank for another 2000 miles. Howland is a tiny island that was easy to be missed while flying if not searching thoroughly for it- this is where Fred Noonan came into the picture. He was hired to navigate the island which he failed due to the severed communication of the radio navigation. Earhart and Noonan had a poor understanding of the use of radio navigation, and to keep the plane as light as possible, some equipments were left behind including Morse code transmission which were used to communicate with Earhart as their radio communication was impaired and conveying only one sided message to Itasca. The frequencies Earhart was using were not well suited to direction finding and the reception quality of her transmissions was poor. Two-way communication proved impossible.

After almost eight decades of disappearance of Amelia Earhart, there are many theories regarding her disappearance and still researchers are working to know what exactly happened with the fearless pilot. But what I want to point out is had she waited enough to have knowledge and proper training to use the equipment that she carried with her or had hired someone expert in such field, she would not have unloaded the Morse code transmission machine. Also the Itasca's code message was being sent on 7500 kilocycles (they could not send voice on 7500), Earhart was tuning her receiver to 3105 to listen on the half hour. When the Itasca's transmission ended at 23:58 (11:28 for Earhart as she was following Greenwich Time) she probably didn't even have her headphones on. Not only was the weather being sent on the wrong frequency but Earhart had repeatedly asked the Coast Guard to report in English, not code, especially while she was flying.  Plus there are theories saying that she had wrong information regarding the adverse weather which might have resulted in using more fuel than intended to and the tank would have been empty before the expected time.

Amelia disappeared on her 2nd attempt to fly around the world. Had she taken more precaution to understand the technology and work out the communication with radio transmitters of different places who were helping her navigate the places to refuel and stay on her route of journey, we might have had a successful story and world would have seen Amelia live a more full life with her husband as she had intended to after completing her last flight around the world. But history has already painted her story into its canvas and though it might bring some respite to the ardent lover of hers to know what actually happened, there is nothing we can to do avoid such loss of an ambitious person.

Even though she has vanished for whatever reason, she has been model for many aspiring women pilots over the decades and also to any ambitious person out there who has a thirst to fulfill their dreams. She might have been an amateur pilot but she was fearless, determined, courageous, and fought for her independence to dream high. And she also had a feminist face which we can quite get a feel about in the following lines belonging to her: “Please know I am quite aware of the hazards...I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail their failure must be but a challenge to others.” -Earhart's letter to her husband George.

So find your way to your dreams friends and hop on its adventure. Amelia nailed the expression perfectly: “Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries?”

Until next time…

Have a quirky wicked day, readers

First Rain of the season..

Hey readers,

First rain of the season brings in a whole load of fresh emotions.  The cool breeze with fragrance of the thirst quenched earth plays with a loose curl of my ponytail, making it dance in its rhythm and leaves as silently as it entered my room. Peacock and other birds are rejoicing and singing in the droplets gifted by the sky releasing them from the scorching grip of summer. I stand by my window taking in the view calming me entirely despite the entire chaos created in my house due to renovation. This spot has been my solace for years.  My house becomes my home due to my family, but this spot by my window is my respite after a long day. No other place has such effect on me. Everyone has such place where their mind longs to be in the days filled with anxiety and stress.  Some find it in the house, some at a tea stall with friends, some at an open terrace with a great view (That's my second favorite place).

After it stops raining, craving for some hot dalwadas or bhajiya to accompany the masala tea drives people out of their house.  Even long romantic drive or reminiscing the memories with friends and having gala time are few very alluring ideas that rush to our mind.

So hop out friends ! Give in to your monsoon instincts because I sure as hell am giving in to them as I take the first bite of my sizzling hot bhajiya..

Until next time...

Have a quirky wicked day, readers

Patience

Hey readers,

The word "patience" is loosely termed with the ability to wait of someone or something. But if took a second to think about it, to have patience one will have control of one's emotions, ability to divert their mind and not to be affected by the constant nagging from a part of the brain - Limbic system, which controls emotions saying you are annoyed by having to wait and they might also have forgiving nature.

In today's world patience wears thin in people. We ask quick questions and need quicker answers. We get frustrated so easily. For instance, from your lagging computers or smartphones, cursing at elevators to be too slow for your taste and wishing you had superpowers like magneto to bring it any faster- same is the case when waiting for the barrier to rise at a railway crossing or traffic lights to turn green. The list could be endless. Technology has so many benefits but has these flaws in disguise which is usually disregarded in front of its shiny features. But people don't understand that these things do not show in our behavior until few months or years have passed. I pity the new age lovers who do not have to wait for messages from their partners like they did so patiently back in 80's or 90's. People are missing the sweet painful twinge of waiting which made them much more humble and grateful when the wait ends. And now, I dare the boyfriends not to reply their girlfriends within 10 minutes of receiving their message. Now even whatsapp has 'message read' feature updated..Oh yeah! All hell will break loose ! (poor lads). 

So my impatient readers, if you have been trying to get hold of your wearing out patience then I have a suggestion. Usually we do things unconsciously, so become aware of your actions. Meditate. And try doing few of your routine actions slowly like drinking coffee . Feel the way the coffee trickles down your throat, pause and observe the scene around you,  and...take a lungful of breath..feel the moment ! 

Now tell me, doesn't it feel good to be alive ? Don't you feel a bit less restless and like mind has cleared up a bit ? Keep practicing and you will get a handle on it soon. Patience is not a character of a person but a quality that radiates when in control of yourself and more importantly - it's a choice.

Until next time ..

Have a quirky wicked day, readers !

Someday...

Hey readers,

Have you ever felt the air turn mystical after the strike of midnight ? My favorite time of the day starts from 3 am to 5:30 am. It is so silent outside with cool breeze flowing. I always have butterflies in my stomach during that time and it's like I can taste the magic or something near to it in the atmosphere. I feel like anything is possible. I believe in soul mates even if sounds girly, I do. Not love at first sight kind of, but where one can trust and be honest to the other person fully and even after being flawed they accept them for who they are and still fall in love irrevocably. I'm a downright romantic person and will fall hard for someone someday.

"Someday" is such a hopeful word but with a dark side that mostly people ignore with their optimistic conscience. The movie Knight and Day puts it correctly - Someday. That's a dangerous word. It's really a code for never.

Love is not hard actually but we put up walls after wall guarding against heartbreak. Tearing those walls cause so much friction that the journey seems tough. Everyone walks upto the edge of the mountain but to tip the balance and free-fall for someone takes a huge leap of faith. The effort of someone to know us so deeply even after so much restrain from our side is the exact same thing that makes our balance tip. It's not just with love but also with friendship. In fact the benefit of free-falling in friendship is that you will be falling together hand in hand and they will be there to cushion your fall and punch someone right in their faces in case they turn out to be bad choices !

So on occasion of Valentine's season, tear down the fortress of inhibitions and take a leap of faith readers but make sure your friends are close- just in case ! ;) 

Until next time..

Have a quirky wicked day, readers !

I wish...

Hey readers,

Turning 22 this week has had me not thinking but rather wishing things I could have. No, it is not something I wish to have as a gift but something I could have had education-wise. Don’t get me wrong, my parents gave me the best education that helps me think and ask questions like why and why not which I think is the only purpose of educating a person. To make people ponder on how and why the things work like they do- in short to get your thought process working is the purpose of education, rest is the easy road to travel. So today I’m going to state things I wish were different or that they were practiced when I was in school.

I wish we had more assistance from the education system for opting the correct career. Career is something one has to live with and for their entire life. It’s connected with the passion and desire that drives a person. To recognize such passion in young age where chatting on messaging platforms, hanging out with friends and being cool is more interesting than choosing the right career path is really difficult.

I wish that my school had more options than plain bland options like Commerce/ Science / Arts where we could choose individual subjects that entices us and venture more in self development of our inherent skills. A combined syllabus where I could learn physics along with literature and finance, rather than being defined by the stream of course that I have to opt.

I wish we had a Career Day somewhere in 7th/ 8th grade where people could guide us how we can transform our talents into career options and possible ways to pursue it. To know that there are different careers other than engineering, doctor, accountant or banking would have been a blessing and I bet there are many kids out there who are clueless about what they should pursue and worse cases are those who follow their friends or relatives’ career.

So for the parents, elder brothers and sisters, uncle-aunties... whoever is out there to care for the young minds of your family, help them find their passion. They might not know but they do need your guidance. Sometimes finding what their passion is difficult for kids because they don’t understand the depth of that word/ phrase.  Instead ask them to identify their favorite thing to do, something that gives them joy and for which they won’t mind taking time out from their schedules. For instance, Watching T.V is not a thing but loving to watch Witty advertisement can lead you to career option like making such ads. Search about it. Find out if it’s your cup of tea. If not then don’t fret, move on to another interest. You are too young and have enough time to stumble upon the correct one.

So I end my post by wishing you a good day and a very bright future ahead.

Have a quirky wicked day, readers !

Lost in time

Hey readers,

First of all, wish you very happy New Year readers and may you have a fulfilling year ahead. As the New Year begins, we like to reflect on the time in the past and this post does exactly the same thing.

Few days ago me and my nephew found an old toy truck- a companion of my early days of life and couldn't stop from reminiscing the things that I used to do at his age. While I was listing things, I realized he has neither done nor experienced those things and my best childhood memories are lost in time. It was difficult making him understand few things that he has never heard of or either seen. I suddenly had an urge to think about the things lost in time now...And here are few that were frequent items in my childhood.

Chocolate coins:

They used to be stored in a jar and just the sight of them awoke Alibaba in the kids and these coin chocolates became their treasure to be guarded with life whenever bought for them. Peeling the foil and eating them while smearing the face with chocolate!! It still does look like a treasure to unravel and teasing me sitting in this picture. I wonder where can I get a handful of these ! Yum !!

Tazo :

Now these were a huge craze in my time. They ruled the market before Bay-blades and Doremon. As far as I can remember they used to come as freebies in Cheetos. Collecting them with passion, sulking when got the same character and later exchanging it for a different one. But apart from this, the ultimate part was battle of Tazos, where if won, could earn tazo of the loser. Ah! Golden time!!!

Fountain pen:

I first held a fountain pen in my fifth grade, hand-down by my brother who told me to guard it with my life and as typical me I didn't ( still holding a grudge ! ). Writing with ink pen was so common those days. Men having a ink blotch near their pocket due to leak, ink in the pen finishing while we are half way through the exam papers and realizing we didn't bring a spare one, splashing ink on someone who coincidentally happened to be dressed in white (Yikes !!),etc were few most hilarious moment connected to it. I'm sure others might have had at least one of these experiences in firsthand

Cassette/ Walkman :

Before smart phones or mobile with FM were invented, these were the loyal companions of the commuters. Sometimes while listening to the songs, they would start sounding funny (the strip comes out of the cassette track) and the singer suddenly develops chipmunk voice!!

Mario/ Tank/ Shaktimaan/ Mowgli/ The Flinstones :

 These were my favorite summer pastime with my elder brother. We used to wait for my mom to leave for work and then sneak out these video games- mario & tank. I personally never liked tank, because I sucked at it and still do. But that was the fun part as I would challenge my brother for next day and the chain goes on. Mowgli and Shaktimaan were the only shows I used to watch on DD One channel. Mimicking Shaktimaan by spinning around with mom's red dupatta tied around the neck like cape and singing the intro song of Mowgli are the instant memories cropping up when remembering them.

Milton bottles:

The company is still working but they have changed the appearance of the bottles with the changing times. But I miss the bottles that we used to hang around our neck and used to have the cap of the bottle chained to the bottle itself. The image shown beside is the standard water bottle we used to carry in the school and due to identical bottles, our mothers would ink our name at bottom of the bottle or on its body. The best feature of these bottles was that they were handy in fights too as they were damn heavy with water filled in it.

Big babol/ Kismi/ Nutties/ Pop rocks candy :

Please note that mentioning these candies has nothing to do with my growling hunger!! These candies are not yet extinct in the market…Thank god for that ! But are not easy to get a hand on them. Recently I saw the advertisement of Kismi and I hope to find them in my nearby stores soon. In this list I have my favorite - POP ROCKS (hands-down winner!!). How can someone not love a candy that pop like crackers in your mouth? Must try list! If see any of these in the stores, do not hesitate to buy. You will love them- my guarantee!!

Personal letters :

This is the last one.

An emotional one.

I remember when I was 1st taught to write a letter, we were given homework in the following holidays to write one to our grandparents. I didn't post it as they lived within 10 minutes drive. But I did write a letter and handed it to them and they were so delighted. I can still remember their happy faces. I was so proud…Hehe... Innocent but proud. I cannot find kids doing these things anymore. I wonder why anyone wouldn’t want to see such faces lit with pure love and adoration anymore.

 Here is a short poem “How to write a letter “by Elizabeth Turner-

Maria intended a letter to write,

But could not begin (as she thought) to incite,

So went to her mother with pencil and slate,

Containing "Dear Sister," and also a date.

"With nothing to say, my dear girl, do not think

Of wasting your time over paper and ink;

But certainly this is an excellent way,

To try with your slate to find something to say.

"I will give you a rule," said her mother, "my dear,

Just think for a moment your sister is here:

And what would you tell her? Consider, and then,

Though silent your tongue, you can speak with your pen."

 You can always look back in past but do not dwell on changing the present in accordance to better times spent in the past. Because always remember if Cinderella went back to pick up her shoes, then she wouldn't have become a princess. 

On this emotional note, I take a leave and end my post here.

Until next time...

Have a quirky wicked day, readers!

P.S - Changed above line from 'have a wicked day, readers' to 'have a quirky wicked day, readers’. New Year resolution- Maintain originality. 

What's yours? 

Techie us

Hey readers,

The way technology has evolved is amazing. I'm not talking about the rocket science or medical science. I'm talking about the world of apps and mobiles. Today one of my cousins introduced me to 2 different apps that sort of had me thinking about the time where simple texting was such a craze. The app is Snap chat. Apparently, you take a picture or video which will be visible to your contacts for about 10 seconds and then it's gone...Whooshhhh...just like that!!!  Apart from that it has a Story feature which lets you keep the pic for 24 hours and then goes whoosh again. Also you get a notification as to who has taken a snap shot of your pic. Amazing na.. I wonder what inspired the developers to make an app like that. It will definitely will be interesting. If anyone has watched Internship movie then they will get what I am trying to say. ( It's a part where all the mismatched team members bond over a night and suddenly come up with the idea.. it's much more interesting than I'm explaining it ). If you haven't seen the movie yet, please do. It's amazing!

So back to the topic... So the next one is not exactly an app but a feature that my basic android mobile lack of!!!  It's called Wi-Fi Direct. Any huge file you have that will take forever to get attached to the mail it or send via Bluetooth, this feature is your ultimate savior!!  It transfers your file at much faster rate. If you are also sulking at your handset for lacking such a handy feature like me then there's a silver lining in the cloud, you can download it from the app store. I'm not sure it works the same way or not, but I have downloaded both the apps and I can't wait to use them.

These apps and virtual world is very alluring. I love them but sometimes it seems that the virtual world is much more glamorous than the real one. I hardly have seen someone who doesn't check upon their mobile in every 10 minutes whether or not you receive a notification (including myself). A day without mobile or even turning off your data connection once in a while could balance that. So today @ night instead of chatting in the virtual world, try doing the same in real world. Go to a park, talk, hangout with friends/family, take a walk. Do anything that doesn't involve the mobile or television or any other techie stuff... or take a vacation without your mobile and I guarantee you that you will love it and feel more relaxed than you have ever in a while. I'm not saying don't be in touch with technology or move forward with the world...But sometimes kicking back your feet and doing nothing but talk with someone feels liberating too.

So until next time...stay techie and

Have a wicked day, reader!!

Something old, something borrowed

Hey readers,

 So like I said in my previous post, we have a huge wedding coming up in our family. My big sis is getting married!!! So this post is just for you my sweetheart sister!!!! That's me and my cousins with our grandparents.

So what can I tell you about my elder sister! I have spent almost all of my childhood summers with her and my other cousins (5 pandavs hehe ). We couldn't wait for vacations or festivals or any other occasion to meet and have fun and have our endless talks. I mean even today we can talk for hours and still feel like we had less time to spend.

Walking down the memory lane I can remember playing badminton in the evening at our grandparent's, watching cartoons like Popeye or Tom n Jerry, going for morning walks with our Nana and Nani, teaching new dance moves ( I even have an embarrassing photo of mine..which I'm never posting online, in case you are wondering), making cake for the first time with Britannia biscuits (melting Cadbury's dairy milk and decorating it with Cadbury's gems), giving a rundown of things that happened in school, birthdays, watching Harry Potter series, navratri nights, sleepovers and there are so many more that I can list here but then this post will be awfully long. What I want to say is that she has been in almost all of my important event and all 5 of us have always looked out for each other (even though sometimes we do fight and go for each other’s throat), and if you are reading this Big sis then on behalf of the 4 of us- We want you to know we love you and will miss you like crazy and we couldn't have been more happy for you.

So readers if you have such mindblowingly fabulous brother/sister/cousins as I do, spend as much as time you can with them, make wonderful memories and cherish each other. Because no matter how much time you spend with your family, it's always priceless.

So until next time, love more, have fun more, live more...But more importantly...

Have a wicked day, readers ;)

Msging in short !

Hey readers,

  So today before I start to talk about messaging and how it has evolved lingual-wise, I would like to take a moment here to thank my readers who crossed my total views more than a hundred(yeahiiiii to me ..). Many of my friends and family read my blogs recently b'coz I informed them just now…As I have an amazing memory power (loaded with sarcasm…) they loved it and gave my tips along with showering praises. I feel loved guys. Thank you guys. It meant a lot to me.

Now back to our topic...”Messaging". Who doesn't love to text!! It's easier, quicker and cost efficient than a call. Remember those mobile without touch and had keypad with 3X4 format or QWERTY format. How our keypad used to make tipper tapper sound and the rhythmic flow of our hand! We used to have SMS plans and now its whatsapp, wechat, Line and what not. Anyways that stuff will be for another post but what I actually wanted to point out was the texting language we use.

SMS=short messaging service. But we have somehow managed to make it yet shorter than it is. Constant abbreviation of words has left us using it on official papers too. Thank god for auto correct on my mobile or else this entire post would have been in short forms!! 

One of my friends recently used a short form which left me laughing. She said: mnsn nt dear. Now I had to ask her what she meant by "mnsn" here and suddenly it clicked- Mention. (I'm still chuckling...)

So I kind of Googled few hilarious short forms for you to enjoy!

1daful - It means wonderful

LMBO- Laughing my butt off

BAY – Back at ya

NAGI- Not a good idea (this cracked me up for good... hehe)

ORLY- Oh, really?

PAW- Parents are watching

TIME- Tears in my eyes

WTH - What the heck?

WTPA (noo it's not what you think dirty minds!!)- It means " Where the party at?"

SMHID – Scratching my head in disbelief (seriously what???)

LYLAS- love you like a sister

AYV – Are you vertical? (In which context am I ever gonna use that???)

WEG- wicked evil grin

SLAP – Sounds like a plan (quite handy for double meaning, WEG  ...Saw what I did there, eh!!) URTM – You are the man

AAK – Asleep at keyboard (then how r u typing, dude??)

W@ – What?

YIU - Yes, I understand

SWL – Screaming with laughter (I doubt that is even humanly possible)

Honestly I wonder how on earth do they remember so many acronyms for simple words!! Anyways I'm not complaining it's up to the people who use it and everyone works differently. With posting these weird acronyms, I take a leave and I hope U had an LOL moment by reading these just like me.  Until next time...

Have a wicked day, reader! 

WEG - Wicked Evil Grin

Love You Like A Siste

Love You Like A Siste

Eat, Sleep, Recycle ;)

Hey readers,

   Have you noticed the change in the atmosphere lately ? I definitely have !!  It's chillier in the morning than usual,  a bit dry air has started blowing all day long and evenings are arriving upon us way to fast. It's almost winter. Few of the morning joggers might have dug up their old sweaters too !  If you don't remember where you kept your warm clothes,  you better start digging in now. And while you're at it,  you might as well take out some of your old stuff like bottles, single sock, sweater that doesn't fit but don't have a heart to donate, etc.
Today I will tell you how to recycle those old things and create something new!  I'm not going to show you any extensive DIY (do-it-yourself) exercise, but very easy stuff that anyone can follow( especially lazy people like me ) . So here it is !!!

#1. Bottles
So no matter what size of plastic or glass bottles you have, I have DIY ideas for you.
You can put many holes on the cap of the big plastic bottle and use it as a showering can for plants. As it already has a handle to hold, it's easy to pour on plants.
You can put holes on the bottle and plant it inside the pot when manuring for new plant and pour water from above to keep soil moist.

That's how it will look!!!      

This is one way for gardening lovers to keep their soil moist.

#2. Ladle handle

These can found in kitchen and everyone definitely have few old ones to throw out. I would advice otherwise as these ladle handle can be used as decorative candle holder, maybe right outside your door or in your garden/open sitting area. This idea can come handy if you are holding party at night in your lawn or patio.
                             


#3. Anything of glass
Everyone has a pair of spectacles or used bulbs or some light glass plate lying around which eventually ends up in garbage. Well here's an interesting idea to glam up your room. You can re-use these glass things an "sunlight catcher". All you need is permanent marker of your color choice. Draw patterns or just color some part of the glass and hang it near the window and enjoy the color/s it throws around !
                 
                              

#4. Keys
Next up is re-using old and no longer in use keys  by turning them into wind chimes. Interesting, eh ?

#5.Hats
Anyone who has old hat/s lying around that is no longer in style, this one is for you. Just put a hole for wire to pass through and attach the bulb from below. Nice na !
                              


#6. CDs
With songs and videos in mobiles and ipods, old CDs have become redundant and there might be few lying around. So here's how you can use it. Cut them in pieces and use it's reflective part as a decorative item.

Photo frame decorated with CDs pieces

#7. Bowls
If you have used bowl that is not in use then you can tie few strings from it and convert it into "bird feeder" and hang it on your terrace or in  the garden.
                             

So these were few ideas that I thought are so easy to do and yet receive such a creative result. By posting these ideas, I'm not encouraging you towards not donating your stuff  but rather encouraging to use things (that are definitely going out ) once or twice more before throwing it in trash can. The next time you come across such old and not-in-use items, you know what to do.
   Did you know DIY improve your IQ by 50 points. How cool is that !!
Until next time...

  Have a wicked day, readers !!